The railways has generated more than 5.5 lakh man-days of work in six states -- Bihar, Jharkhand, Madhya Pradesh, Odisha, Rajasthan and Uttar Pradesh -- under a central infrastructure creation-cum-livelihood generation scheme launched amidst the COVID-19 pandemic, the national transporter said in a statement on Sunday.
Around 165 railway infrastructure projects worth Rs 2,988 crore are being executed in these states under the Gareeb Kalyan Rozgar Abhiyan, it said.
Till August 14, as many as 11,296 workers have been engaged in these projects and payments of Rs 1,336.84 crore have been released to the contractors.
"Railways has appointed nodal officers in each district as well as in the states so that a close coordination is established with the state government. Minister of Railways, Commerce and Industry Piyush Goyal has directed railway administration at zonal level to act proactively to ensure migrants are engaged in projects and paid accordingly. Railways has identified a number of railway works which are being executed under this scheme," it said.
The works are related to construction and maintenance of approach roads for level crossings, development and cleaning of silted waterways, trenches and drains along the tracks, construction and maintenance of approach road to railway stations, repair and widening of existing railway embankments/cuttings, and plantation of trees at extreme boundary of railway land.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi launched the Garib Kalyan Rojgar Abhiyaan to empower and provide livelihood opportunities in areas or villages witnessing large numbers of returnee migrant workers affected by the coronavirus pandemic.
The scheme is being implemented in 116 districts in the six states having a large number of people who returned from urban areas during the coronavirus-induced lockdown.
Launching the 'Garib Kalyan Rozgar Abhiyaan' in June, PM Modi had said that talent has returned from cities during the lockdown, those whose labour and skills were behind the rapid growth of cities, will now boost development of villages with the help of this scheme.